130 Years Ago - 1896

The Democratic senatorial convention for this district will be held at Walton today.

Charles T. Curtis of Callicoon Depot is looming up for the Republican nomination for assemblyman.

Edward Mahom died at his home at Youngsville Sunday morning, aged 61. He was born in Greene County and at the age of fourteen removed to Kenoza Lake, where he assisted his father in the sawmill for two years, after which he was employed in Wales’ tannery for 23 years, being foreman the greater part of the time. When the tannery was closed, he bought the Welton farm of Gideon Moulthrop. Three years ago he exchanged his farm for the hotel at Curtis Alley at Kenoza and a year ago last May he removed to Youngsville.

Mrs. Barbara, widow of the late Paul Seelig, died of paralysis at the old homestead in Fosterdale, September 7, at the age of 73.

Louis Justin, a former resident of Jeffersonville, died at Scranton, Pa., September 12, at the age of nearly 50 years.

The Youngsville semi-annual fair will be held next Monday, September 21.

120 Years Ago - 1906

Our school reopened Monday with an entirely new faculty. Orlando J. Ives of South Worcester, N.Y., is the principal.

H.L. Goubelman of this village has engaged to teach at Briscoe this term and began Monday.

Jeffersonville is to have another saloon, this in the western suburb known as Kohlertown. John G. Staib, who recently sold his hotel at Lake Huntington, has bought the corner lot of Henry Chelius for $600, the lot fronting 200 feet on Delaware Avenue and 200 feet on the Beechwoods Road. Mr. Staib will put up a residence there and in order to while away the time he will conduct a saloon. Plans are now being prepared by Contractor Kohler.

Philip Dorrer has about completed a new seventeen room house on his farm north of this village with the view of entertaining summer boarders.

A son was born yesterday to Rev. and Mrs. H. Blaschke.

Mrs. John Wilfert is recovering from a mild attack of typhoid fever. Dr. Rice is attending her.

Philip F. Geib and family of Flushing have been spending several weeks at the home of his parents here.

Supervisor Wenzel and Dr. Kemp of the Delaware Town Board of Health were up at this end of the town yesterday investigating slaughter houses and other places.

Charles Homer, and E.R. Fink left yesterday to spend a couple of days camping and fishing on Hunter Lake, near DeBruce. 

110 Years Ago - 1916

The North Branch Fair held last Monday afternoon was a great success.

Louis Dietrich has been awarded the contract for the new school building. The walls are to be built of concrete, using the VanGuilder hollow wall system.

Delayed – Owing to the defection of a bearing in the power plant which kept all machinery necessary for the publication of this paper idle for ten hours yesterday, the “Record” comes out slightly late this morning.

Several of the young bucks, bachelors and those benedicts who were able to elude their spouses, enjoyed a clambake in George Yaeger’s woods Sunday afternoon. About twenty-five were present from this village. William P. Miller, John Fuhrer and Theodore W. Bollenbach were in charge of the bake. Everybody enjoyed the clams and other delicacies which were especially good.

Wragge’s Casino at Lake Huntington was destroyed by fire of unknown origin early Tuesday morning.

Youngsville will hold its annual Fall Fair Monday afternoon. The Callicoon Center Band will give concerts during the afternoon.

A transportation line between Liberty and Monticello will soon be in operation. A schedule has been arranged whereby autobuses will make two or three trips daily between the two villages.

R.B. McGinn is walking again. He  sold his Ford touring car, which evidently convinced him of the pleasure of walking, to Jacob Moslow of North Branch. Townspeople are now looking forward to some more Abie Turetzky performances.

100 Years Ago - 1926

Rev. Father Edwin Garrity, for the past five years the Franciscan priest in charge of the Catholic churches in Jeffersonville and Youngsville, has been transferred to Woodridge, N.J. During Father Edward’s service here, a debt of $4,000 has been eliminated from the Jeffersonville church and in addition the church has now about that much more in its treasury. He is succeeded here by Rev. Father Lewis, late in charge of the Long Eddy church.

Robert Metzger returned to Syracuse University yesterday. His Dad took him up in the car.

Joseph Ruck of Smith’s Barbering and Bobbing Emporium will step off next Sunday shortly after the noon hour.  His partner in the stepping will be Miss Rose Kovacs, recently of New York. The wedding will take place at the home of Jacob Pecsi of Swiss Hill and Justice Albert Paolucci of the Fosterdale district court will perform the ceremony.

A compromise is when a man lets his wife pick out what road to follow.

The last section of concrete paving between Roscoe and Livingston Manor is now in  use, giving motorists a seven-mile stretch of fine highway between the two villages.

$10,000 is left by Miss  Helen J. Pintler, late of Bethel, to the Bethel Presbyterian Church at the death of Miss Cynthia A. Pintler, a sister, who is to have the interest on the money until her death.

There are many non-resident students in the enrollment of 252 in the Jeffersonville School this year. Of 76 students in the academic department, 48 are non-residents.

90 Years Ago - 1936

Briscoe Lake, 3 1/2 miles east of Jeffersonville, was the scene of a double drowning at 1 o’clock last Sunday morning when George Wylam, 58-year-old bachelor, and Charles House Jr., aged 40, both of Endicott, lost their lives.

The Town of Bethel has bought three voting machines for its election district. All towns in the state must be equipped with voting machines by 1938, according to a law passed last year.

The Town of Delaware has appointed Garry Marshall, John Gempler and Bernard J. Erlwein constables and all have qualified. Polling places named are at Darling’s Hall, Callicoon, in District 1; and Church Hall, Kenoza Lake, in District 2. Primary Day is September 15.

The Callicoon Town Board met Tuesday night and appointed Edward Weyrauch of Callicoon Center school attendance officer in place of Peter Amback of Youngsville. The board also purchased a chlorinator for the Youngsville water district at a cost of $495.

Mr. and Mrs. William Lieb left this morning to attend the annual meeting of the New York Press Association and the State Fair at Syracuse. They were accompanied by their son-in-law and daughter, Mr. and Mrs. John H. Joyner of White Sulphur Springs.

Jeff beat the Scranton Miners here 4-2 last Sunday.

Edward Schroeder Jr. of Youngsville leaves Friday for R.P.I. in Troy where he is taking up electrical engineering. He will be a junior this year.

80 Years Ago - 1946

Mr. and Mrs. Frank Cubr of New York, formerly of Jeffersonville, have announced the marriage of their daughter, Mary Ann, former lieutenant in the Army Nurse Corps, to Lt. (j.g.) Thomas H.  Johnson, U.S.N.R., on September 7.

Mrs. Donald Albee of Roscoe recently announced at an afternoon tea the engagement of her sister, Miss Agnes Kohler, to Cornelius P. Clager, both of Lake Worth, Fla.

Lieut. Conrad Ruppert Jr., eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. Conrad Ruppert of Jeff RD, arrived home this week from service in Japan. Connie was in service over three years. The Rupperts had three sons in the service.

Albert C. Luchs of Plainfield, N.J., is spending a week at his brother Arthur’s farm.

The Wayne County Fair will be held in Honesdale, Pa., next week. starting on Tuesday, September 17, and concluding Saturday night, September 21.

Magdalena Albertine Vogeney, wife of John Elswirth, died at her home on the Callicoon Center Road on Saturday, September 7, after about a year’s illness. She was born May 17, 1885, in New York City, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Louis A. Vogeney, who came to Callicoon Center in 1909 and to Jeffersonville in 1913.

Ralph D. Ward, lifelong resident of Livingston Manor, died in the Roscoe Hospital, August 28, aged 66 years.

Nial Sherwood, Liberty civil engineer, has bought of the Sullivan County Golf Club, a tract of land on the outskirts of the Liberty village, which he is cutting up into building lots with streets, to be known as the Fairways. The price paid was around $14,000.

70 Years Ago - 1956

Miss Eleanor Dixon of Briscoe and Donald Lare of Youngsville were married at the Presbyterian Church in Jeffersonville on Saturday afternoon by Rev. Leroy Hertzog.

Miss Barbara Ann Lott, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. August Lott, received her nurse’s cap at ceremonies at the Newark Presbyterian Hospital.

At Holy Cross Church in Callicoon Sunday, Miss Ruth Kurzweil, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Kurzweil of the Beechwoods, became the bride of Thaddeus J. Manouse, son of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Manouse of Callicoon.

Pvt. George K. Abplanalp, son of Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth F. Abplanalp of Youngsville, left for Europe as part of the Operation Gyroscope.

Jack Weber, Democratic candidate for the Assembly, met in Albany with Governor Averill Harriman.

David Mansfield, brother of Mrs. Alfred Adler, died in New York City at the age of 74.

Alan and Catherine Gerry of Loomis Road and William Gorowitz of Route 17 at Liberty are directors and subscribers of the Liberty Video Corp., chartered at Albany to deal in television and radio.

Daniel Sickmiller has returned from a Long Island Hospital where he has been under treatment for injuries sustained in an automobile accident.

Mrs. Elizabeth Huth has sold her home on West End Ave. to Mr. and Mrs. Brustman of Liberty.

Mr. and Mrs. Lester Gute drove their daughter, Judy, to Geneseo, where she is entering college.

The newlyweds, Mr. and Mrs. Leslie Parks, have returned from a brief honeymoon and have set up housekeeping in the Irwin Boxberger bungalow in Youngs­ville.

Women Volunteers for Stevenson met at the home of Mrs. Frederick W.V. Schadt in Jeffersonville.

60 Years Ago - 1966

Douglas Arthur Cherry, son of Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Cherry Jr. of Bowling Green, Va., and formerly of North Branch, has been training for missionary work through the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormon Church) and has been assigned for two years to the North Carolina mission.

Robert K. Travis, 14, son of Welfare Commissioner and Mrs. Robert B. Travis, Liberty, was killed in a tractor accident on the County Infirmary grounds on Labor Day.

Fire destroyed a chicken coop and milk cooler at the William Vanderlaan farm near Kenoza Lake Saturday, August 27. Fast action by the Kenoza Lake firemen, assisted by Jeffersonville and Lake Huntington saved a nearby barn.

William B. Schenkar, 60, barber of Hankins, died September 6, at the Callicoon Hospital. He had been a resident of that village 35 years.

A son was born Sunday, September 6, at the Callicoon Hospital to Mr. and Mrs. Leo Kratz. On Wednesday a son was born to Mr. and Mrs. Herman Feldhusen of Narrowsburg.

Mr. and Mrs. Francis Tobin of Stony Point are the parents of a daughter, Jacqueline, born September 1. Maternal grandparents are Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Hans­josten of Long Eddy and paternal grandparents are Mr. and Mrs. Frank Tobin of Callicoon. Mr. and Mrs. William Engelhardt of Hankins are the great-grandparents. She has an older sister, Christine Rose.

Damascus (Pa.) Township High School’s Delaware Valley Chapter of Future Farmers of America placed third in the 1966 Soil and Water Conservation Awards Program in Pennsylvania. There are well over 300 FFA chapters located within the Commonwealth. LaRue Elmore is the faculty advisor.

50 Years Ago - 1976

It has been announced that a New York State sponsored three-day canoers’ get-together has been scheduled for Columbus Day Weekend, October 9, 10 and 11. A proposed race from Callicoon to Minisink Ford (near Barryville), a distance of about 25 miles, will offer a Governor’s Cup as the first prize. Only three entrants from each state will be permitted and canoes will be limited to a maximum of 18 feet, six inches. The event will be conducted by the International Canoe Classics, the organization that has conducted the Wyoming event on the Snake River. The Governor’s Cup will be donated by Gov. Hugh Carey, to be suitably engraved and displayed in the governor’s office of whatever state may capture the prize. It will be offered next year to the winning paddlers.

Barbara Ann Martin of Narrowsburg became the bride of Robert S. Barber of Doylestown, Pa., on August 21. The ceremony was performed by Frs. Justin Eeles and Cassian Kirk, OFM, at St. Francis Xavier Church in Narrowsburg.

Susan Washousky of Liberty and Douglas Mootz of Jeffersonville were married August 14 at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Monticello. 

Kelly Keeler and Thomas Watson were married at St. Peter’s Church in Liberty on August 7.

40 Years Ago - 1986

Ralph and Eleanor Gerow celebrated a half century of married life on August 17 with a gathering of family and friends at the Livingston Manor Rotary Park hosted by their sons, Ralph and Thomas, and two daughters, Frances Jara and Merrie Hallman, both of Livingston Manor.

Doors opened Wednesday morning for more than 13,000 Sullivan County students (except Fallsburg students who start back to school on Thursday) who seek to further their education.

No Sullivan County farmers are dumping their milk in support of the dairy farmers of Maine and New York State who are protesting the low prices paid for milk. One farmer said he had participated in the milk strike in the 1960s but would not do so now. Local farmers did not feel that dumping milk would be effective in dealing with the low prices paid for milk.

Madolin Tenbus of Hortonville was one of many volunteers working at the Hortonville Field Day the last Sunday in August. She has been helping out since the 1940s... In the judging of the parade, Hurleyville won the best overall company award; North Branch was the best appearing.

Former Judge Lawrence Cooke described the evening as triple A and for the usual understanding but the affection and admiration of Jack Aks, who was honored on the occasion of his 80th birthday at a gathering of nearly 200 friends and relatives at Kutsher’s Country Club last Thursday evening. Among the noted dignitaries was Matilda Cuomo, wife of New York State Governor Mario Cuomo.

The Hamlet of Parksville in the northern end of the Town of Liberty wants the Citizens Advisory Panel to get them some of the $605,000 grant given by the New York State Power Authority for the Marcy-South power line. The money would be used to spruce up the appearance of the business street.

Close to 150 people gathered at Bob Lander’s Narrowsburg Campground Sunday afternoon to enjoy the 5th Annual Ambulance Appreciation Day.

30 Years Ago - 1996

Sunday was a time to reflect upon distant memories for Neversink town residents – a time to remember the old hamlets of Bittersweet, Neversink, Eureka, Montela and Lackawack – communities long gone but not forgotten. They now lie under thousands of gallons of water of the Rondout and Neversink Reservoirs.

Ground was broken Thursday for Liberty’s newest housing project, a 32-room, two-story complex within the village boundaries. Called Liberty Village Senior Citizen Apartments, the single Colonial-style building will be located on Route 55, adjacent to the Walnut Mtn. Care Center.

Esterita “Cissy” Blumberg’s book, “Remember the Catskills – Tales of a Recovering Hotel Keeper,” published by Purple Martin Press, details those happy frantic years of running one of the county’s most famous resorts, Green Acres in Loch Sheldrake.

The Callicoon Volunteer Fire Dept. recently received its former piece of equipment, a 1935 Ward LaFrance fire truck, now owned by Richard Hoover, formerly of Newtown, Pa. Hoover bought the truck in 1983, and refurbished it, and decided to donate it back to the fire company rather than ship it to Missouri where he now resides. A contingent of local men saw to its careful return to the area.

Kenneth J. Wells of Monticello, 67, a retired postmaster for the U.S. Post Office in South Fallsburg and an avid actor, died Friday, September 6, 1996 at the Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla following a heart attack.

Claude and Lillian Hector of Myrtle Beach, S.C., formerly of Narrowsburg, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. Mr. Hector published the Delaware Valley News Times in Narrowsburg, and Mrs. Hector taught second grade at the Narrowsburg Central School for 35 1/2 years.

Jeffersonville – Thomas and Donna Bury are celebrating the birth of their first grandchild, Zachary Ryan Bury,  born to Timothy and Julie Bury on September 5. Donald and Bernice Krantz are the delighted great-grandparents. Julie’s parents reside in Montana.

20 Years Ago - 2006

After the June 28 flood many residents on the Narrowsburg “flats” lost hope of what was to come and were lost and unsure of what direction they were to go. Then one day out of nowhere a 9-foot lighthouse appeared on the river, perched on the gravel bank created by the same flood that devastated so many. After a little while, the lighthouse disappeared and residents wondered what had happened to it. It came to light that the National Park Service said that the lighthouse did not belong on the river and its creator, Art Peck, said, “I did not plan on leaving the lighthouse out there for a extended matter of time. The flood victims needed a distraction and it was a lighthearted one.” Town of Tusten Supervisor Ben Johnson said, “Art is always up to doing something and this was a nice gesture for the flood victims.... Then at the same time you cannot fault the park service for having to follow the rules and regulations either.” The lighthouse has been moved for now, but rumor has it when you least expect it, the lighthouse might just reappear in a location that will once again bring joy to so many who lost so much.

Seven-year-old Rudy Gieger won the title of Junior Fiddle Champion at the Pocono Mountain Bluegrass Festival. He is the son of Stefan and Cindy Gieger of Jeffersonville.

The Von Steuben Day Parade’s King and Queen this year will be Charles Roeder and Gudrun Roeder respectively. Skylar Brundage will be Miss Germany.

10 Years Ago - 2016

The Jeffersonville Central School Class of 1951 held a reunion in late August, at Tennanah Lake Golf and Tennis Club. Of eight surviving graduates, seven were present, including Ann Baker Schminke, Barbara Adams Goetschius, Margery Mootz Van Ginhoven, Carol Wadsworth Johnson, William Brey, Barbara Peters Festa and June Krantz Donohue. Edwin Mueller was unable to attend. The Class of 1952 was also invited and members from that class, William Calkin and Margaret Fulton McLeon, attended. Other guests were Theresa Calkin, Robert McLeod, Betty Peters, Marg Brown, Walter Johnson, Elvira Brey and Ed Mangan. The Class of ‘51 now holds a reunion every year.

Four of Tri-Valley’s Future Business Leaders of America traveled to Atlanta, Georgia to attend the FBLA National Leadership Conference. This group consisted of Julia Leland, Anna Hendrickson, Gillian Mathews, Morgan McHugh, and their advisor Nancy Peters.

U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand announced $481,200 in federal funding for Sullivan County International Airport  allocated through the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The funding will be used to install an emergency generator, which will provide power to the runway lighting system in the event of a power outage and will also support the installation of a new runway guidance system, which will include a precision approach path indicator to make the airport more accessible by improving approaches to the runway ends.